Cricket rallies around Pomersbach as he walks from game

Sports reporter

Depression has forced Luke Pomersbach to retire from cricket at just 29. Photo: Getty Images

In January of 2013, Luke Pomersbach finally looked like he'd put it all together. His cricketing El Dorado turned out to be in Darren Lehmann's Queensland and he was duly whirring his bat like a lightsaber.

After a career that shunted along in between varying off-field indiscretions, most of them fuelled by alcohol, the production on the scoreboard was finally reflecting the latent talent. At the tender age of 28, Pomersbach had surfaced for good.

That very month, he had walloped the Melbourne Renegades for 112 off 70 balls, sending them careening out of the BBL finals and helping the Heat motor towards the decider. Just days earlier, he'd whacked Hobart for 82 off 42 balls in another display of raw power and finesse.

Perhaps a second chance in the Australian side beckoned, after he was famously pulled from the WACA crowd to take the place of an injured Brad Hodge in a T20 international against New Zealand. He was held in such regard that in 2008 Pomersbach was the Bradman Young Cricketer of the Year.

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Looks can be deceiving. Pomersbach knows that better than anybody. The bountiful summer of 2013 was a world away on Thursday as the gifted left-hander made the painful call to walk away from the game and focus on his long-running battle with depression.

Word began to spread early in the morning before Queensland Cricket made it official, saying Pomersbach, the 2012-13 Big Bash Player of the Year, had decided to stand down from all forms of cricket in an effort to beat mental illness.

The news was jarring for his coach and teammates at Albion, but it wasn't a complete shock. Pomersbach had been working with Queensland Cricket and the Australian Cricketer's Association for some time before deciding it was time to make a clean break from the sport.

"It’s a tough one," said Bulls coach Stuart Law. "The welfare of the player is first and foremost. With what Luke is battling at the moment, hopefully he has made the right decision to make sure he gets the right treatment and go on and live a very full life.

"Cricket has been a massive part of his life but his health comes first. We’re all hoping he makes a full recovery."

Cricket has only been part of the Pomersbach story, with his drama off the field commanding the weight of headlines. The WACA suspended him four times and he narrowly missed a jail sentence in 2009, when he was charged with assaulting a police officer after being arrested for drink driving.

Two years later, after earning a contract in the lucrative Indian Premier League, there was more drama, this time an assault charge that didn't make it to court after the alleged victim withdrew the complaint following a settlement.

None of that seemed to matter as Pomersbach settled into life in Brisbane after coming to Queensland in 2011 to play club cricket. Lehmann had found the key to a cricketing sports car and T20 provided the perfect forum for his explosive stylings.

In the background, ongoing personal issues shadowed his every move, eventually forcing his hand.

Law, the former Bulls great, lauded Pomersbach for having the courage to make such a definitive decision, saying depression and mental illness deserved to be spoken about and dealt with candidly and honestly.

"I think it’s an exceptional step forward for Luke. When someone does have a problem like this, the first step is owning up and making sure that you understand you do have a problem. The next step towards recovery for him is hopefully not too far away," Law said.

"It’s not just cricket, it happens in all walks of life. As a society, we have to look at it and talk about it because it is creeping in more and more. Now that we know more about it and are more educated, hopefully we can stop people getting to the stage where they do feel this pressure."

Pomersbach, now 29, has been close to Law and thanked him for his help as he arrived at the decision to retire from the game.

"I really appreciate all the help and support that I have received from Queensland Cricket over the past three years and especially over the past couple of months leading up to this difficult decision to leave professional cricket so that I can put all my efforts into getting better and making a full recovery," he said in a statement.

"In particular, I would sincerely like to thank Stuart Law and the coaching staff as well as my Bulls and Heat teammates for all the things they have done for me during this difficult time."

The ACA has also been working with Pomersbach to ensure he remains supported now he has left the game.

"We applaud Luke's decision to prioritise his health over his cricket and will continue to assist and support him as he deals with these difficult personal issues," said CEO Paul Marsh.